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Oct 24, 2018 • 7 min read
Discover the Wonders of British Columbia
A large province in a large country, Canada’s British Columbia is almost three times the size of Germany. Therefore, how do you begin to wrap your head around this remote, rugged, and ravishing region? Start at the edge, among the nearly 40,000 islands and 16,000 miles of stunning coastline.
If you’re looking for wildlife, adventure, or relaxation, you can access it all by boat – whether it’s a giant ferry cruising its way up the Inside Passage or an inflatable raft gently drifting downstream in the Great Bear Rainforest. Put your camera in a dry bag and get ready to explore. It’s time for an up-close look at the best of British Columbia.
Witness Whales and Wildlife from a Powerboat
Mike Willie’s eyes light up when he sees a clump of seabirds rising from the surface of the water. He steers his powerboat toward them, as a cloud of spray explodes from the waves just a few yards away. Slowly, the jagged shape of a humpback whale’s body crests.
“He’s going to fluke,” Willie says, and sure enough, the 25-ton animal’s massive tail comes out of the water, flares out, and slowly descends below again. One or two cameras click, as a group of about 15 travelers soak in the moment from open-air decks fore and aft.
Willie runs Sea Wolf Adventures, a wildlife-watching and cultural expedition on the northeastern coast of Vancouver Island. In addition to humpbacks, Willie’s passengers can get close to orcas, otters, seals, dolphins, wolves, and grizzly bears. Along the way, he shares stories of his Kwakwaka’wakw ancestors, illustrated in real-time with ancient rock paintings, waterfalls, and First Nations settlements.
For Willie, as a hereditary chief of his people, running an indigenous tourism business serves an important dual purpose. “It’s a win-win for us,” he says. Connecting travelers with the sights and stories of the region “gets us back to reconnecting with our own territory.”
Cast off: Stay in the charming town of Telegraph Cove, one of the most picturesque sights in the region, where Sea Wolf Adventures pick you up for seasonal tours starting from $149 per person.
Explore the Coastal Islands by Kayak
If even the deck of a powerboat is too distant from the water and wildlife, you can’t get any closer than surface-level. The Broughton Archipelago is a sea kayaker’s dream – a maze of crystal-clear bays, inlets, and coves to explore. Vast curtains of underwater kelp support a vibrant marine ecosystem. As you paddle toward a pod of orcas, a bald eagle may take flight overhead while a pair of sea lions swim below your feet.
Andrew Jones and his team of guides at Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures lead paddlers of all skill levels on a four-day excursion along the majestic coastline. They provide everything you need – from kayaks and waterproof jackets to a tent-village base camp with beds for up to 10 travelers in the heart of an old-growth rainforest. After paddling all day, you may find that the cedar-smoked barbecue salmon they prepare is the best seafood you have ever tasted.
Cast off: Kingfisher’s all-inclusive four-day guided tours start at $1450 per person. For a more do-it-yourself experience with kayak rentals, waterfront accommodations, and massage therapy, The Paddler’s Inn can be reached by water taxi from Port McNeill and Telegraph Cove.
Make a Connection on the Inside Passage
The long-anticipated, often-delayed direct ferry route from Port Hardy on the north end of Vancouver Island to Bella Coola on the Central Coast finally opened in September 2018. It was worth the wait. The 10-hour route on BC Ferries‘ 150-passenger Northern Sea Wolf vessel now connects the quirky port towns of the island with the rugged tourism center of the Great Bear Rainforest. Consequently, it’s a relaxing ride to Bella Coola, certainly preferable to the 280-mile drive from the next closest town, and it allows you to take in the breathtaking scenery of the Inside Passage.
Step out on deck as the ferry powers up a pristine glacial fjord, with mountains blanketed in massive trees pressing in on both sides. Watch a long-abandoned salmon cannery come back to life for a moment as a sunbeam breaks through the fog, bathing it in a golden glow. Chase the whales off the coast of a temperate rainforest and witness porpoises gamboling through the ferry’s massive wake. It’s a truly spiritual experience.
Cast off: Sailings can have limited space, so reserving early online is advisable. Standard one-way fares are $169 for adults and $84 for kids aged 5-11, plus $336 per vehicle.
Drift through the Great Bear Rainforest
You’re always at the mercy of nature when searching for grizzly bears in British Columbia, but you’re practically guaranteed an encounter in the Great Bear Rainforest, a 12,000 square mile tract of old-growth rainforest on the central Pacific coast. It all starts with at least five species of salmon that swim up the Bella Coola River system each year to spawn, creating a veritable buffet for grizzlies that need to pack on pounds before winter.
The best way to observe bears is by means of a river drift boat – a non-motorized inflatable raft that holds up to six, expertly steered by a professional guide. This isn’t whitewater rafting; the thrill arises from a peaceful glide, lulled by the bubbling waves and eddies, until a 600-pound bear and two cubs emerge from undergrowth to feast just yards away.
Along the banks, you’ll observe many wildlife watchers with large camera lenses stationed in raised viewing platforms, wishing they were part of your serene experience.
Cast off: Tweedsmuir Park Lodge provides numerous drift boat trips daily on the Atnarko River, starting at $130 per person. The lodge also offers wildlife and nature walks, a covered viewing platform on the river, and chalet accommodations. It’s so close to the grizzly action that bears often lounge on the lawn.
Fjords and Hot Springs via Fishing Boat
Leonard Ellis knows more than most about getting close to grizzly bears. As the legendary story goes, he was leading a tour, running toward a massive bear in the distance, when he burst through some brush and found himself face-to-face with another bear. He slammed on the brakes, lost his footing, and slid directly between the bear’s paws, under its belly. “Well, this is it,” was all he had time to think before the bear snorted in his face, turned, and ambled away.
Ellis is full of these captivating stories. For instance, the tale about the time he hung backward out of an airplane caught in a tornado or the time he parked a 15-foot boat between what he thought were the dorsal fins of two sharks but was actually the dorsal and tail fin of one enormous shark. He tells these stories to astonished travelers around the campfire at his Bella Coola Adventure Resort. Amazingly, they still want to join him for future tours.
One of Ellis’s most popular Central Coast excursions is his eight-hour Glacial Fjord and Hot Springs tour, aboard the 42-foot fishing boat Nekhani. With glaciers and pristine marine wilderness as a backdrop, Ellis regales travelers with the history and lore of the settlers in this unrefined area. “Just a handful of people built this whole enclave,” he says of the old Bella Coola harbor. “No gasoline, no diesel, no nothing. All by hand.”
After a day cruising past settlements, waterfalls, and fisheries, with the epic view of Mt. Nusatsum looming over all, the highlight of the trip is a pair of secluded natural hot springs. Whether you choose the one in a craggy crevice or the one in the open overlooking the fjord, it’s the perfect place to sit back, relax, and recount your own stories: the ones you created on board a boat in British Columbia.
Cast off: The nearby Brockton Bistro at Bella Coola Mountain Lodge offers delicious upscale takes on regional favorites. Bella Coola Adventure Resort also provides marine, grizzly bear, and bus tours starting from $150, in addition to log-cabin chalets and a gazebo for nightly group gatherings. Ellis himself crafted the cabins’ bannisters by hand, using bent logs from the property. Or so the story goes.
GoTravelDaily writer Ben Buckner traveled to Canada with assistance from Destination British Columbia, Tourism Vancouver Island, and Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association. GoTravelDaily contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.
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